The sun is the closest star to Earth, in the center of the solar system. It is located at a distance of 149 million kilometers (1 astronomical unit) and has a diameter of 1.3 million km. The Sun is just over 5 billion years old. It is a yellow dwarf, class G , and a surface temperature of 6000 ° K.
Instructions
Step 1
The Sun, as viewed from space, looks slightly different than from the surface of the Earth, and astronauts in orbiting space stations describe it as a dazzling white ball pressed into the black mass of space. However, its light does not interfere with seeing other objects at the same time: stars, the moon, the earth. To observe the sun, you need to use dark filters, as the radiation can scorch the corneas of the eyes. Observing in this way, the disk of the star is clearly visible, and around it is visible the very radiation called the corona. It has a temperature of 2 million Kelvin. Thanks to this radiation, life arose and is maintained on our planet.
Step 2
Upon closer examination of the surface, one can immediately notice the emission of a huge amount of energy and matter in the form of prominences. From the influence of powerful magnetic fields, they bend into arcs measuring tens of diameters of our planet. During the years of activity, the emissions of matter into space are especially intense. On Earth, they cause auroras and negatively affect electronic equipment.
Step 3
Along with prominences, sunspots are also visible; these are areas with a lower temperature relative to the temperature of the rest of the surface. That's why they look darker. But they are very hot and have a temperature of about 5 thousand Kelvin. The spots are caused by the strength of the magnetic field of a star with an 11-year cycle of appearance. The more spots, the more activity of the Sun. The spots also show its rotation around the axis with a period of 27 Earth days.
Step 4
In fact, the Sun does not have a clear surface. The visible flat surface is the photosphere. This layer is 400 km thick, which gradually turns into a boiling convective zone. The difference in the thickness of the photosphere layer and the distance to the Earth is significant, therefore it is simply not visible and the feeling of a flat surface is created.
Step 5
In space, the sun is dangerous by the emission of large amounts of radiation. Life on Earth is protected from it by the atmosphere. The ozone layer, located at an altitude of 50 km, does not transmit gamma rays, which have a destructive effect on all living things. Spaceships and spacesuits are also equipped with protective devices to protect astronauts and equipment from radiation exposure.
